Snubbed bolster truck



April 10, 1951 A. LEHRMAN 2,548,223

SNUBBED BOLSTER TRUCK Filed Sept. 4, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 7o 50 50 26) M 541k 66 INVENTOR. zo fioz/zz wmy (Q42 0% MM),

April 10, 1951 A. LEHRMAN SNUBBED BOLSTER TRUCK 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 4, 1945 INVENTOR.

77?/CL?Z/ Patented Apr. 10, 1951 SNUBEED BOLS'ELER TRUCK Leo A. Lehrman, Chicago, Ill., assignor to American Steel Foundries, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of New Jersey Application September i, 1945, Serial No. 614,214

19 Claims.

'My invention relates to railway car trucks and more particularly to a novel form of snubbed truck wherein friction means are so associated with the side frame and bolster as to snub the action of the spring group by which the bolster is supported on the side frame in the bolster opening.

The general object of my invention is to dcvise such a form of truck wherein a friction shoe and wedge is so mounted at each side of each bolster end and so positioned as to permit a loadsupporting spring to actuate a wedge and friction shoe. My novel arrangement is designed particularly to accommodate long travel springs in order to secure the most efficient ride under widely varying load conditions.

A more specific object of my invention is to devise a snubbed truck wherein the bolster end may be of box section with diagonal webs adjacent the center rib each affording a seat for one face of a Wedge, the opposite face of which may bear against the friction shoe in order to thrust said shoe against the adjacent side frame column as well as against a friction surface on a wall of the bolster.

A different object of my invention is to so arrange said friction wedges in the bolster end as to permit their actuation by a load-carrying spring which may project through the bottom wall of the bolster and seat against the wedge.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a fragmentary side elevation of a railway car truck embodying my invention, partly in section, the section being taken approximately in the vertical plane bisecting the side frame as indicated by the line ll of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the truck structure shown in Figure l, the section being taken approximately in the horizontal plane indicated by the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan of my novel form of wedge block;

Figure 4 is a side elevation thereof;

Figure 5 is a view of the wedge-engaging face of the friction shoe; and

Figure 6 is a side elevation thereof.

My novel structure is illustrated as applied to a well-known type of cast steel truss side frame including the compression member 2, the tension member 4, and the integral columns 6 and 8 merging therewith to form a bolster opening it within which may be received in usual manner the end of the bolster, generally designated i2, said bolster end having inboard and outboard guide lugs l3 and [5 for cooperation with adjacent columns. At the bottom of the bolster opening the tension member may be widened and formed with upstanding flanges to form a recessed spring seat in Well-known manner, the tension memher beneath said seat being of box section with the top chord Hi, the bottom chord I8, and the longitudinal center rib 29. On the spring seat M may be positioned the load-carrying springs, diagrammatically indicated at 22, 22, and these may abut the bottom wall of the bolster in con-' ventional manner as at 24. The end portion of the bolster 52 may be of box section, having the top wall 25, the side walls 28 and 30, the center rib 32, and the bottom wall 34, said bottom wall being cored away on opposite sides of the center rib as at 38, 35 to accommodate the auxiliary friction springs 33, "38 which may project therethrough and seat as at 85*, as on the spring seat l2 (Figure 3) at the bottom of the wedge block, generally designated 44.

The bolster end may have at each side of the vertical center rib 32 upwardly diverging diagonal webs s5 and 48 merging at the lower ends thereof with said center rib 32 and at the upper ends thereof with the top wall 26. The webs 46 and 68, in general, define a Y-shaped wall structure with rib 32, and may extend longitudinally of the bolster from the end wall 56 thereof to the transverse wall 52, said end and transverse walls extending across the bolster approximately in alignment with the inboard and outboard edges of the adjacent side frame column. The side walls of the bolster may be cored away between the end wall 5-; and the transverse wall 52 to form therewith and with the top and bottom walls of the bolster lateral pockets 54 and 55 within which may be received the friction shoes 58, 58, each of said friction shoes having a rectangular fiat face 53 bearing as at against the wear plate 52 mounted on the adjacent column. The top of each shoe may have a flat friction face 8 3 (Figure 5) which may bear as at 66 against the top wall of the bolster, and each shoe may have a wedge face 68 against .which may abut as at if! one wedge face 52 of the wedge block 44. The oppositeface of the wedge block may abut as at M the adjacent diagonal web 46 and be urged against said surfaces at it and M by the associated auxiliary spring 38. It will be observed that the shoes and the diagonal walls engage the respective wedges along nonparallel faces accommodating rocking movement therebetween. The auxiliary springs 38, 38 are also load-carrying springs and their lower ends may seat as at i8, E6 on the spring seat It and be positioned intermediate the load-carrying springs 22, 22, as may well be seen in the view of Figure 2.

The wedge block M3 is shown in detail in Figures 3 and 4 and consists of a solid block of metal, generally rectangular in plan as seen in Figure 3, with the circular recess 18 cored centrally to form the spring seat :32 and having thev triangular opening cored therethrough to re-- duce the weight. The upper surface of the wedge block is formed with tapering arcuate faces l2, l2 for engagement, respectively, with the diagonal web of the bolster and the wall of the adjacent friction shoe, as already described. It may be noted that although I prefer to form the wedge with arcuate engaging faces 12, 12 since it is easily replaceable when worn, said wedge may have flat tapering faces in engagement with an arcuate web of the bolster and an arcuate wall of the adjacent friction shoe.

The friction shoe is shown in detail in Figures 5 and 6 wherein it may be seen that the shoe is of rectangular form as viewed in the front elevation and of triangular configuration as seen from the end View of Figure 6. The shoe may have the vertical friction wall 82, presentinga fiat face 59, a top wall 84, also presenting a flat friction face 64, and a diagonal wall 88, presenting a flat friction face as at 68 for abutment with the adjacent Wedge block. Centrally of the shoe and extending across the width thereof may be cored a 'lightener opening 90.

It is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited by the exact embodiment of the device shown which is merely by way of illustration and not limitation as various and other forms of the device will, of course, be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

I. In a railway car truck, a side frame having spaced columns, a bolster end spring-supported from said frame between said columns, said bolster end housing shoes in frictional engagement with respective columns and with the top wall of said bolster, diagonal webs in said bolster end centrally thereof, wedge means engaging said webs and shoes at opposite sides of the bolster end, and auxiliary springs supported on said frame and actuatingsaid wedge means, said springs extending through openings in the bottom wall of said bolster and being seated on the same level as the bolster-supporting springs, each of said wedge means having at least one arcuate face.

' 2. In a railway car truck, a side frame having spaced columns, a bolster end spring-supported from said frame between said columns, said bolster end housing shoes in frictional engagement with respective columns and with the to wall of said bolster, diagonal webs in said bolster end centrally thereof, wedge means engaging said webs and shoes at opposite sides of the bolster end, and auxiliary springs supported on said frame and actuating said wedge means, said springs extending through openings in the bottom wall of said bolster and being seated on the same level as the bolster-supporting springs, each of said wedge means having a plurality of arcuate faces.

3. In a railway car truck, a side frame having spaced columns, a bolster spring-supported from said frame with pockets adjacent said columns, friction shoes in said pockets in flat face engagement with the respective columns and with a wall of said bolster for frictional movement therealong, spring-actuated wedge means abutting respective shoes and spaced diagonal webs of said bolster, and wedge-actuating springs extending through the bottom Wall of said bolster and seating upon said frame at the level of the load-carrying springs, each of said wedge means having an arcuate face engaging the adjacent shoe.

4. In a railway car truck, a load-carrying member having spaced columns, springs on said member intermediate said columns, a bolster seated on certain of said springs, said bolster housing friction shoes in engagement with respective columns, diagonal webs in said bolster intermediate said shoes, wedges engaging respective shoes and webs, certain of said springs projecting through the bottom wall of said bolster for abutment with said Wedges, each of said shoes having flat face engagement with the adjacent column and with a wall of said bolster.

5. In a railway car truck, a load-carrying member having spaced columns, springs on said member intermediate said columns, a bolster seated on certain of said springs, said bolster housing friction shoes in engagement with respective columns, diagonal webs in said bolster intermediate said shoes, wedges engaging respective shoes and Webs, certain of said springs projecting through the bottom wall of said bolster for abutment with said wedges, each of said shoes having a diagonal flat face engaging an arcuate face on the adjacent wedge.

6. In a truck, a frame, a bolster spring-supported therefrom, a Shoe in slidable engagement at one end thereof with a wall of the bolster and at one side thereof with said frame, a wedge interposed between and engaging a diagonal surface on the shoe and a face web of the bolster, said surface being disposed at a side of the shoe opposite said one side thereof and facing said web and angularly arranged with respect to said bolster wall, and spring means directly reacting between said wedge and said frame, the face on said Web and said shoe surface converging toward said bolster wall, said spring means reacting against the wedge so as to force the shoe into frictional engagement with the frame,

'7. In a railway car truck, a load-carrying member having spaced columns, springs on said loadcarrying member intermediate said columns, a member supported on said springs and housing shoes in frictional engagement with respective columns, upwardly diverging Webs on said supported member intermediate said shoes, wedge elements engaging respective shoes and webs, certain of said springs projecting through the bottom wall of said supported member for actuation of said wedge elements, said wedge elements and shoes engaging each other along nonparallel faces.

8. In a railway car truck, a load-carrying member having spaced columns, springs on said loadcarrying member intermediate said columns, a member supported on said springs and housing shoes in frictional engagement with respective columns, upwardly diverging webs on said supported member intermediate said shoes, wedge elements engaging respective shoes and webs, certain of said springs projecting through the bottom wall of said supported member for actuation of said wedge elements, said webs and wedge elements engaging each other along faces accommodating rocking movement therebetween.

9. In a railway car truck, a side frame having spaced columns, a bolster end spring-supported from said frame between said columns, said bolster end housing shoes in frictional engagement with respective columns and with the top wall of said bolster, diagonal webs in said bolster end centrally thereof, wedge means engaging said webs and shoes at opposite sides of the bolster end, and auxiliary spring-s supported on said frame and actuating said wedge means, said springs extending through openings in the bottom wall of said bolster and being seated on the same level as the bolster-supporting springs.

10. In a railway car truck, a side frame having spaced columns, a bolster spring-supported from said frame with pockets adjacent said columns, friction shoes in said pockets in flat face engagement with the respective columns and with a wall of said bolster for frictional movement therealong, and spring-actuated wedge means abutting respective shoes and spaced diagonal webs of said bolster, and wedge-actuating springs extending through the bottom wall of said bolster and seating upon said frame at the level of the load-carrying springs.

11. In a truck, a frame with a bolster opening, a bolster spring-supported from the frame within the opening, a shoe within said bolster in engagement with a horizontal wall thereof and with said frame, a wedge interposed between and engaging a diagonal wall of the bolster and a reversely arranged diagonal surface on the shoe, and spring means reactingbetween said wedge and said frame so as to force the shoe into frictional engagement with the frame. said diagonal wall and surface converging toward said horizontal bolster wall.

12. In a railway car truck, a load-carrying member having spaced columns, springs on said member intermediat said columns, a bolster seated on certain of said springs, said bolster housing friction shoes in engagement with respective columns, diagonal webs in said bolster intermediate said shoes, wedges engaging respective shoes and webs, certain of said springs projecting through the bottom wall of said bolster for abutment with said wedges, each of said wedges having arcuate face engagement with the adjacent shoe and web.

13. In a railway car truck, a load-carrying member having spaced columns, sprin s on said load-carrying member intermediate said columns, a member supported on said springs and housing shoes in frictional engagement with respective columns, upwardly diverging webs on said supported member intermediate said shoes. wedge elements engaging respective shoes and webs, certain of said springs projecting through the bottom wall of said bolster for actuation of said wedge elements each wedge element engaging the associated shoe along a surface sloping downwardly toward the adjacent column.

14. In a railway car truck, member having member interm a load-carrying spaced columns, springs on said ediate said columns, a bolster seated on certain of said springs, said bolster housing friction shoes in engagement with respective columns, diagonal webs in said bolster intermediate said shoes. wedges engaging respective shoes and webs, certain of said springs projecting through the bottom wall of said bolster for abutment with said wedges, each wedge engaging the associated shoe along a surface sloping toward the adjacent column.

15. In a railway car truck, a side frame having spaced columns, a bolster end spring-supported from said frame between said columns, said bolster end housing shoes in frictional engagement with respective columns and with the top wall of said bolster, diagonal webs in said bolster end centrally thereof, wedge means engaging said webs and shoes at opposite sides of the bolster end, and auxiliary springs supported on said frame and actuating said wedge means.

16. In a railway car truck, a side frame having spaced columns, a bolster spring-supported from said frame with pockets adjacent said columns, friction shoes in said pockets in fiat face engagement with the respective columns and with a wall of said bolster for frictional movement therealong, spring-actuated wedge means abutting respective shoes and spaced diagonal webs of said bolster, and wedge-actuating springs extending through the bottom wall of said bolster and arranged to exert pressure on the wedge means so as to force the shoes into frictional engagement with the frame.

17. In a railway car truck, a side frame having a tension member, a compression member and spaced columns, a bolster end between said columns spring-supported on said tension member with pockets adjacent said columns, friction shoes in said pockets in flat face engagement with respective columns and with a wall of said bolster for frictional movement therealong, diagonal webs in said bolster intermediate said shoes, wedges engaging respective shoes and webs, and springs projecting through a Wall of said bolster for abutment with said wedges at one end and seated on one of said members at the other end and oriented to exert pressure against the wedges to force each wedge against the shoe and web engaged thereby to urge the shoe into frictional engagement with the adjacent column.

18, A railway car truck comprising a frame element with spaced columns, a relatively movable hollow member between said columns, friction shoes housed in said member and engaging respective columns, a wedge member wedged between each shoe and an internal wall of said hollow member and in engagement therewith along converging surfaces, and spring means formed and arranged to urge each wedge member against the related shoe and wall and thereby force the shoe into frictional engagement with the associated column.

19. A railway car truck comprising a side frame with spaced columns, a bolster spring-supported from the frame between the columns, friction shoes engaging respective columns and said bolster, a wedge member in engagement with each shoe and said bolster along vertically converging wedge surfaces, and a spring reacting between each wedge member and a portion of said frame toward which said surfaces diverge, and oriented to deliver a force against the member for urgingthe same into the wedged position thereof with the related surfaces and thereby urge the associated shoe into frictional engagement with the adjacent column.

LEO A. LEHRMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Barrett et a1. Aug. 3, 1948 

